Railway signaling system.



A. V. T. DAY.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2B,1EJ08.

1,099,283. Patented June 9, 1914.

ALBERT V. T. DAY, OF N'E'YV ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIG'rNOH. BYIeIEElllTE ASSIGN- lVIENTS, TO HALL StVITCI-l' 8-: SIGNAL COMPANY, 015NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF MAINE.-

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSHEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latenlml J one 9, .llllal.

Application filed August 28, 1908. Serial No. 450,716.

1/ '0 all whom it may concern lie it known that'I, ALnnn'r V. T. DAY, acitizen of the United States, residing at. New Rochelle, in the countyof \Vesltehester and State Of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Railway Signaling Systems, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part thereof.

My invention: relates to electric trallic-- controlling systems andapparatus for railways, and the object of the invention, gcnorallystatetfl, is to produer a trallic-eontrolling system which shall besimple and reliable in operation, and econon'iical in 1uater'lal and inexpenditure of energy.

While my invention is applicable, in gem eral, to systems of variouskinds, for the in} operation of various llll lllC(T'UlllJlOlllngdevices, sueh as automatic train-stopping devices, switches, cabsignals, etel, it in pan tieular'ly applicable, in some of its features,to automatic systems for controlling visual sigma ls such as semaphores.

My invention is lmrtieularly illustrated and described as embodied in asignal-eontrolling system of the type characterized by,l-he use of trackrelays selectively responsive to periodic currents of liliill'orentfrequencies, together with insane for feed ing currents of dill'erentlirequencies at dilfe 'ent. points in the, track rails. in anotluu'application filed oi even date herewith, he rial Number elollfllfi .lhave (lesoribed an improved system of this type in whirh electricallyindependent generators are em ployed for feeding the traolt rails, inorder to prevent the interrln'ulge of stray eurrents o't' dill'erent'tre .1uenoies between the Several feeding;- poinls, in my rniesentinvention. 1 make use of this arrangeinent, and one object of myinventirm isto provide the system with improved means for actuating thetrack generators.

In the present invention, as in the system disclosed in my applicationhereinbelfore re ferred to, the relays are rendered selootively'responsive to currents at partitailar he queneies by providing themwith fields energized by currents oi eorres portd ng trequeneies and oisuitable phase relation; and a seoonol object of the present inventitmis to provide improved means for supplyingthe carr'ents for energizingthe relay fields My invention is nirticularly illustrated as embodied ina system (annprising both home and distant signals, and provided withtrue tron current 'eondnctors for the oLmraiion of electric. care ortrains, and further objects of the invention are, in such coni'ieetion,to economize in the use 0i. (:(Hltllltilul's in the various line andlrannnission circuits, and in the use of generators for energizing thesngnal-oonlrolling apparatus and 'l'onsup plying lrartiou current bycombining sev eral functions, where possible in one conductor orgi-nerator, through the use of novel apparatus and arrangements hereinaflier dearribed.

()ther objects of the invention] will be set forth in connection withthe i'olhnving sperilio description and my invention consists in theiralliraronlrolling syatem. hereinafter dcscrilaul and illustrated inthe zuzrompauyinn drawings. as dolined in the succeeding elaitus.

1 will now describe the illustrated embodiment of my invention, and willthere after point out the invention in claims.

The drawing illustrates diagrranunatieally a portion ol a railroad trackequipped with an automatic electric signal-controlling system ou'ila'ailving the present invention, and it shows two tannpleto bloelo-i andportions of two olhers.

In the drawings and the folhiuving description the tract: is consideredas divided into bloolts beginning and ending with the suereasive inhale,and the Monks are designoted successively as A, l), C. etc, The anparalus pertaining to each l)lOrfl\' includes the :ligjjlltils at theei'itrance to the block, the relays and other apparatus directlycouneeted with these signals and located thereat, the track relayslocated at the middle of the block, and the generator set by whichourrent is supplied for the feeding point near the entrance to theblock. The apparatus in the several blocks is identical in generalconstruction. and corresptmding parts in the several blocks aredesignated, in general, with the same reference numbers. but in thet'ollowing description these rnunbers are t'olltnved where necessary, bythe letters A, ll and C, to iiulieate in which bloelt the partirulm partin question is loealed.

The railroad track of the drawing cornprisesrails l5 and 16 which arebonded or otherwise rendered continuously conductive throughout. Thetrains move from east to west or in the direction of the arrow 1, a homesignal, 2 and a distant signal 3' are located'at the entrance ofeach'block, and the signals of each block are electrically controlled bytwo track relays 4t and 5' connected across the track railsat or nearthe middle of the blocks i The relays are of the polarized alternatingcurrent type. The relay l has a field magnet 6 which is constantlyenergized by alternating current, and a pivoted armature! which isprovided with acoil and carries a contact finger 8 coiiperating with afixed contact 9. The relay 5 is similar in all respects to the relay lexcept that its contact finger cooperates with-two fixed contacts 10 and11, whereby'it is constituted a polechanging relay, and its field isenergized with alternatingcurrent of diiierent fre- .quency from that inthe field of the relay 4:. w

The armature coils of the relays are connected in parallel, by wires 12,across the track rails at points 13 and 14. The con-' struction of therelays is such that currents passing through the armature 0011- do notaffect the armature and actuate the-relays" unless they are'of thefrequencies employed in energizingthe field magnets and are also insuitable phase relation therewith. The relays thus act selectively,responding only to certain currents flowing through the track rails.

The track rails act as conductors for signal-controlling currents andform portions of train-controlled circuits. At a point near the entranceof each block an alternating generator 20 is connected, through wires 29across the rails. The points of connection are designated successivelyby the reference numbers 17, 18, and-19 and are hereinafter, called feedpoints. The alternating current producedby the generator 20 A flows,from the feed point 17, through the rails and through the wires 12 andthe armature coils. of the track relays 4 and'5 A, The current from thegenerator 20 B "also flows, from the feed point 18, to and through therelays 'and 5 A, and it flows likewiseto and through the relays 4 and 5B, The same thing occurs at C, the current fiowingirom the feed point19' to the relays at B and the relays (not shown) at C.

All of the generators 20 at A, B and C are constructed to producecurrents of different' frequencies. These generators areof theordinarytype in which the frequency is determined by the form of the field andthe speed of the armature. Their fields 21 are energized with constantcurrent through a; wire 23 from a transmission line wire 57., Thetransmission line isfed, through a wire '22 from agenerator 24, and thetrack rails are utilized 'as a returnconductor. To preventshort-circuitingof the signal controh ling apparatus connected with therails, the generator 24 is connected with the two rails through abalanced choking coil 25, which acts to impede the flow of alternatingCH1- rent-from rail to rail while permitting par allel and equalcurrents in its two halves to pass freely. Y

Each generator 20 actuated by a motor 26. In order to determineaccurately the relative speeds of the several generators 20, the motors26 are of the synchronous alternating cu'rrent type, and their armaturesare energized by connection through a wire 31 with a transmission lineconductor 56. The conductor 56 is fed, through a' wire 30 by analternating current generator 32,.and the track rails are utilized asreturn conductors for this current also, the generator 32 be-. inggrounded through the choking coil 25. The field 27 of the motor 26 isconnected in series with the field of the generator 20, so as to beenergized by direct current from the wire 22.

Each generator set includesa generator 35 which supplies currenttoenergize the field of the track relay 4 of the same block and the fieldof the track relay 5 of the next block to the east. The generator 35 isof the same construction as its companion generator 20 and furnishescurrent, in each case of the same frequency, but the two generators ofeach set are elctrically independent so that no interchange ofalternating cur:

rents can occur between them. The field 36 1% of the generator 35 isconnected in serieswith the fields 21 and. 27 so as to be energized byconstant current from the wire 23. The three fields and the armature ofthe motor 26 all have a. common return through 1% a wire 28 and one ofthe wires 29 to.one ot' the rails. At alternate stations these com monreturns are connected to opposite'rails so as to distribute the currentsequally between the rails.

The several currents of different frequencies used in this system willbe, for convenience, referred to as currents of a frequency, b"frequency, etc., to distinguish them, and

on the drawings the letters, a. 7), etc. are applied at various pointsto indicate the currents present or effective at such points. In orderthat the alternating current from the generator 32 may not interferewith the op eration or the track relays this current is of 1 0 relays ofeach block is conducted from the 1m as return conductors 'for tractioncurrent,

and the illustrated railway is shown as being arranged for electrictraction. For this pur-' pose, I propose to use, as conductors fortraction current, either or both of the transmission line wires 56 and57 the current being furnished by the generators 24 and 32. The twoconductors are shown in the drawings,.'as constituting respectively athirdrail and a. trolley wire. The train or car, indicateddiagrammatically at 60, may be provided with a contact member or shoe 61engaging the third rail 56 and a contact member or trolley wheel 62engaging the trolley wire 57, and these contact members may be usedeither alone or, as is the practice on some railways, alternatively indifferent parts of the road. The direct current from the generator 24Lobviously will not interfere with the operation of the track relays,while the alternating current from the generator 32 of frequency (1,cannot actuate the relays since they are selectively sensitized tocurrents only of a, b, and-c frequency. By the above described arrangelent, I greatly simplify the railway system as a whole, and economize inthe use of con ductors and generators. The operation of thesignal-c0ntr0llin apparatus as a whole will now be describe is not ofproper frequency l/Vith the blocks A and B clear the signals at A areboth clear, as illustrated. Suppose, however, there be a trainer a carin block B. Tlre -wheels and axles of the train or car acta's canductorsbetween the rails and at forda path of such low resistance for thecurrent flowing from the nearest feeding point that they. substantiallydelimit the transmission of such current in the rails. In this mannereither or both of the armatures of the track relays in the block Bwill'be short-circuited, according to the position of the train in theblock. If, for example, the, train be between the points 14: and 18, therelay *4 B will receive no current from the feedpoint 18, and itscontact finger will be released and disengaged from'its fixed contact,for the current of 0 frequency flowing to the relays 4 and 5 from thefeed point 19 to actuate the relay 4:

pole-changing switch &0.

and the battery 42 A cut tion, indicating system operates, with It truethat some current of 5 frequency f may still find its way to the relay4: B from a feed point two and one-half blocks in advance of the train,but this current will be very feeble, owing to the impedance of theintervening length of rails through which it is transmitted, and therelay is adjusted so as not to respond to such feeble currents.

In any case one of the relays a or 5 B acts to open the circuitconnecting the battery 41 B with the signal relay 45 B, and the latterthereupon is deenergized and opens the signal circuit through bothsignals 2 and 3 B, so that they both go to danger position. The distantsignal 3 A also goes to danger position at the same time, through theaction of the home signal 2 B upon the This switch being reversed by themovement of the signal 2 B, the alternating current flowing from thegenerator 35 B to the field magnet of the relay 5 A is reversed inphase, and the contact finger of'this relay the'reupon-Tnoves from thefixed contact 10 to the fixed contact 11.. The battery 41 A is therebyout out in, vthe direct current in the line circuit and the signal relay4:5 A is reversed, the contact finger a6 moves from the fixed contacts18 and 49 to the fixed contact 47, and the distant signal 3 A, beingthus deenergized, rises to danger posian obstruction in block B. Thebreaking of a rail at any point in the the same effect as the presenceof a train, to intercept the current by which one or another of thetrack relays is actuated, thereby causing the signals to be set todanger position.

Althoughthe feeding points 17, 18, 19, etc. are located approximately atthe entrance ends of their'respective blocks, are located slightly inadvance of the corresponding signals. This is necessary to prevent themovement of the signals to danger position until the train or car hasreached or passed them. As the train or car approaches the feed pointand shortens the length of intervening rails, a reached, at a shortdistance from the feed point, at which the'impedance of the rails andthe wheels and axles becomes so slight that substantially the wholeof'the current from the feed point is diverted from the re lay 4: at themiddle of the block, so that this they relay is rendered inactive beforethe train incense rents employed at the severe] blocks, the use of asingle eonstunt-current generator for energizing the fields olt' ell thelocal geno'zn tors and motor end for furnishing truction current, theuse of a common comluctor-- the truck railsin both transmission lines,and the use of thesume line Wires for both the ulternetingcurrents toenergize the re ley elds and the direct currents to control the signalrelays.

Various modifications may he "n'nule in the embodiment of my inventionhereinhelore cjlescrihed and illustrated in th :mc-mnpunying drawing,within the nature of the invention and the scope of the followingclaims:

I cluini:

1. A tinliioeontrolling system cm'uprisiing truck railstruiiic-mmtrolling dcwficcs respoir sire selective! to periodic currentsof dilterout frerpieneies in the rails, generators lo outed at intervalsalong the truck and conneeted'ucross the "oils to feed periodic currentsof different frequencies to the rails. motors for actuating Saidgencrutors and e con'nnon source of direct current connected witl ruplurality of said motors aiul-generzrtors to energize the fieldsthereof.

2.. A tr: tho-controlling system comprising; truck rails,'lruHic-control1ing devices respoir sire selectively to periodiccurrents of dill'ei ent 't'requencies in the rails, generators lo--outed zit intervz ls ulonp; the truck and con-- neetcd. across the railsto feed periodic cun rents of dill'erent frequencies to the oils, motorsfor actuating said generators, u direct current transmission line forenergizing the fields of the generators and the motors. and aperiodiocurreut transmission line for energizing the :u'metures of themotors.

3. i l trullle-controlling system munprising truck rails,trethe-controlling devices rcsponsive selectively to perimljc currentsof dillcrent frequencies in the ,ill S, generators located at intervalsalong the truck and con-- net-ted across the rails to feed periodicourrents oi dilieren't frequencies to the ails, motors for actuatingsaid generators, it direct current lLl'ZlllSl'IliSSlOIl line for energiwing the fields ol the generators end the line forcuergizing theziruiutures ol' the motors lhe tuo trui emission lines haying :iconductor in eounnon.

l. A troliicconlrolling system comprising truck ru ils. lruilic-i-ontrolllug devices respoi'n sire selectively to 'ueriodiccurrents d," di'f tereut frequencies in the oils. ggcnerzditu'slfit'tll'flll- :it iuteiw uls along: the lv 'uclt tt'llil coir ne ler'lnero the rails to feed. periodic currents id (.lhi'ent fl'retpiencies tothe rollsm motors vfor {ii-tout said ,grenerutors, l. Ill-- rectrurrenttrue lesionline for one the fields; of 'e and the outwit. and uperiodic-curr it lrzinsmlrniirni line {or cncrgrizirur the ermetures ofthe motors, the two trmisinission lines including the track rails us a,conuuo'n. conduct-on 5. ll. tellicuzontrolling' system ctunprising,truck rails, t ulllc'cuintrolling devices responsire selectively toperiodic currents of dift'ercnt frequencies in the oils, generatorslocated at inter 'eL- along the t lick and eonuerl'ed across the mils tofeed periodic currents oi dill'erent frequencies to the rails, motors toactuating the generators, a truelion current line energized with directcurrent, and connections between said line and the Il'lOlJOl'S toenergize the fields of the motors.

(3. A, tullie-oontrolli11g system comprising truck rnilsltrutllc-controlling devices responsive selectively to pin'iodic currentsof (lit- 'lcrcnt irequerunes in the 'zuls gene ntors 10- culed atintervals clonethe t'nck and connected across the rails to feed periodiccurrents o'l dill'crcnt Frequencies to the rails, motors for:icliuuliug' the generators, a direct truclion current line, andconnections hetween said line and the motors and generators to energizethe fields thereof.

A t traffic-eontrolling system. comprising lrullic-controlling devices,tuclt ails, truck rcluys controlling the lrefliwcontrolling dcriccs andresponsive to periodic currents in the rails, said reluys having: fieldsenergized by periodic currents of different frequencies, lrzicligencrutors loutcd at intervals along the truck and connected across therails to feed pcrii'idie currents o'l. (lill'erent frequencies to theoils, gene 'ulors located at inter rails ulong the tech and electricallyindependent of the truck generators For energizing the fields of therelays. and menus for neutering the generators.

e, A. trullitrrontrolling system comprising, tr: llic-conlrollingdevices truck rnilsJtmelt rcluys controlling); the trullic-controllincdevices und responsive to periodic currents in the rails. said rulershaving liclds energized l/y periodic currents of dill'ereut frequencies,truck generators locul'cd at intervals along:

the truck :ind connected across the rails to :l'ecd periodic currents ofdillerent frequenrice to the mils. generators located at intro motors,and a. pernu'lic current lirens'smissiou ruls along: the truck andelectrically independent ol each other for nergizin the fields ol, thereluye, motors for actuating: the generators, and u commontrunsn'lission line l'or energizing the n'iotors.

ll. .sl. trullic-ronlrollingr truelt "oils on electrically-controlledtruffleii'ontrolliiur device. menus: for feeding to the truck railsperiodic currents of dillercnt freouencies zit i litl'erei'it points inthe rails, a truck relay respoinaivt-i to periodic current in the relicslot-tiled Etl e. distunee from the '..xllir-c iuitrollino device andprovided with u lield oer ggia l in: periodic current to render thereluy esponsive selectively to pert system cOll'llHlSlllglf.

odic current of a certain frequency in the rails, conductorsconstituting a line circuit connecting the track relay and thetrafiiccontrolling device "controlled thereby, a source of periodiccurrent located at a distance from the relay, and connections be tweenthe line circuit conductors and the field of the relay and said sourceof periodic current, whereby the field of the relay is energized by saidsource and the line conductors serve as common conductors for saidperiodic current and for current for con-' .line circuit controlled bythe, relay and connecting the relay and the signal, a generatorconnected across the rails at a point near the signal for feeding therails with periodic current of a certainfrequency, a generator connectedwith the line clrcuit to energize the field of the magnet, saidgenerators being designed to produce periodic currents of the samefrequency a motor connected with both generators to actuate them, asource of signal-controlling current connected in circuit with the relayand the signal through the line circuit, and means i in the line circuitfor separating the signalcontrolling current and the periodic cur-' rentby which the relay field'is energized.

11. A Hallie-controlling system comprising track rails, signals dividingthe track into blocks and arranged with a home signal and a distantsignal at the entrance of each block, means'for feeding the railswith aeriodic current near the entrance end of each block, the frequencies ofsuch currents being dififerent in successive blocks, two track relaysresponsive to periodic currents of difi'erent frequencies 'ilrfthe trackrails near the center of each ing responsive selectivelyto current fromone directlon, and the other being responsive to current from theopposite direction and being arranged as a pole-changing relay, apolarized relay controlling each pair of signals selectively, a polechangingswitch Y actuated by each home signal, a circuit connecting eachpole-changi g switch with a the field of the 7 source of current andwith pole-shah ing track relay next in the rear, whereby t e polarity ofthe track relay may be reversed, a circuit controlled by said trackrelay and connecting it with asource of current and with the polarizedsignal relay of'the same block. whereby the track relay may control theselective action of the "signals may block, one relay be-g signal relay,and a local signal circuit con-- trolled by the signal relay andincluding a source of current and the home and distant signals, wherebyone or both of, the

be clearedby the selective-operation of the signal relay.

12. A traffi controlling system comprisingjraek rails,traffic-controlling means re- 'sponsives'electively to periodic currentsof different frequencies in the rails, generators located at intervalsalong the track and con* nected across the rails to feed periodiccurrents of difierent frequencies to the-rails, motors for actuatingsaidgenerators, and means for actuatingsaid motors.

13. A traffic-controlling system comprising t'raflic-controlling means,in-control of traflic along the railway,

comprising two co-acting coils adapted to enact when energizedbyaltering currents.-

connections between of the same frequency, the track rails and one coilof each relay, alternating current generators'for energizing the othercoils of the relays, alternating current motors for driving thegenerators, a common transmission liiissifior energizing said motors,and means for supplying alternating vcurrents to the track rails toenergize the coils connected therewith by alternatlng currentscorresponding in frequency,

to the currents in their co acting coils. 14. A traffic-controllingsystem compris- 1n cohtrol of traffic along the railway track,

traffic-controlling means arranged in relays in control of saidtraffic-controlling .means'and each electro-translative devices incontrol of the traflic-controlling means and each comprismen frequency,track rails and one 0011 of each translative device, means fordelivering alternating ,ing two coils co-active by currents ofcomconnections between the currents of difi'erentfrequencies to thetrack rails at different points, an alternatingcurrent transmissionline, motors impelled thereby, driven by the motors and arranged to,feed to the electro-translative coils not connected with-wxthe-trackrails currents of difierent frequencies corresponding vto thefrequencies supplied to the track rails.

15. A railway traffic-controlling system comprising traflic-controllingmeans in control of tr'afiic along'the railway track, electro--'-translative devices in control off'the means and each including.

'traflic-coiitrolling a eoilconnected withthe track rails and a coil coactiv'e' therewith, alternating current generators for supplyingcurrentsofdifierent frequencies to different said coils, alternating currentmotors arr ranged to operate said generators and all in turn opergtableby alternating current of one he uency diiferent from "either fre quencyelivered by the generator armatures whereby it" is rendered impossibleto and alternating current generators ones of the last reproduce in thetranslative coils supplied by said armatures current of any frequencywhich may be supplied to the motors by any circumstance. a commontransmission line arranged to operate all of said motors by current ofsaid one frequency adapted to 0 erate them, and means for supplying to te track rails alternating currents of the same frequencies supplied bysaid generator armatures to the translative coils not connected with thetrack rails.

16. A railway traffic-controlling system comprising traffic-controllingmeans arranged to control trafiic along the railway, anelectro'translative device in control of the traffic-controlling meansand including a coil connected with the rails and a'coil coactivetherewith, an alternating current generator for supplying, current ofgiven frequency to the latter said coil, an alternating current motorarranged to operate said generator and in turn operatable by analternating current of different frequency,'whereby it is impossible 'toreproduce in the latter said translative coil current of any ire qnencysupplied to the motor, means for sup lying to the motor alternatingcurrent of t at frequency by which it is operatable, and means forsupplying to the track rails an alternating current of said givenfrequency supplied by the generator to the electro-translative coil notconnected with the rack rails.

17. A traffic-controlling system comprising track rails, responsiveselectively to periodic currents of different frequencies in the rails,generators located at intervals along the track and connected across therails to feed periodic currents of different frequencies to the rails,motors for actuatingsaid generators, and a Copies of this patent may beobtained for traffic-controlling apparatus v common periodic currenttransmission line for artnatin said motors.

18. A tra c-controlling system compris ing track rails,traffic-controlling means, clectro-translativc devices in control of thetraffic-controlling means and each including a coil connected with thetrack rails and a coacting coil, a periodic current transmission lineextending along the railway, means at intervals for receivin energy fromthe transmission line and elivering periodic current to the track rails,and electrical converting means at intervals including generatorwindings arranged to supply periodic current to therespectiveelectrotranslative coils not connected with the track railsand including motor windings arranged to re-' ceive energy from thetransmission line.

19. A trafiic-controlling system comprising track rails,traffic-controlling means, electro-translative devices in control of thetraffic-controlling means and each including a coil connected with thetrack rails and a co-acting coil, a periodic current transmission lineextending along the railway, means at intervals for receiving energyfrom the transmission line and delivering periodic current to theeleclro-translative coils which are not connected with the tack rails,and electrical converting means at intervals in cluding generatorwindings arranged to supply periodic current to the track rails andincluding motor windings arranged to receive energy from the periodiccurrent transmission line.

In testimony whereof l liavc aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ALBERT V. T. DAY.

Witnesses FARNUM F. Donsur, WM. ASHLEY KELLY.

m cents each, by addressing; the "Commissioner of mm, Washington, D. C.

